Sunday July 1, 2007, 6:45 pm
And what about the "bad" parents who aren't on welfare? There's always the Hiltons, the Lohans, the Richies, the Spears, Again, we're singling out people on a 2-tiered system....whether they're taxpayers or tax-receivers.....

Sunday July 1, 2007, 6:59 pm
A system based on penalties will only hurt those that need the help the most - the children, and those children will most likely end up "in the sytsem" as foster children. Wouldn't it make more sense, both from a human perspective and an economical one, to provide programs to help parents address their issues?
And, regarding taxpayers vs. tax receivers - most parents who find it necessary to apply for benefits HAVE been taxpayers and, with support systems that encourage self-sufficiency rather than punishment, will move back to being self-sufficient and paying into the system.

Sunday July 1, 2007, 7:43 pm
Cynthia.......Your comments make sense. But I've long advocated that parenting classes be set up in schools to prevent this very scenario.
Far too many kids grow up to play house then find they were not given any examples from home of what it takes to be a decent parent because their parents literally taught them what they do not know!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mandantory parenting classes should be taught from kindergartden and as a required course in high school to graduate. All too often they end up with no skills and too many babies..............Eventually they dabble in all kinds of drugs, alchohol thinking they can still be parents and no one will ever know. Trust me people can tell the difference in far too many children who have these kinds of parents. The body language and speech of these parent and their children says it all.
These parents should be penalized in some way to wake them up, make them get it ir right before it is too late for the kids as well as themselves.

Plant seeds
Grow trees
Make a forest
For the animals...............................

Monday July 2, 2007, 2:01 pm
I thought welfare money was a "safety net" for the disadvantaged, NOT a way of manipulating people?How in hell are the government going to ascertain whether money is being "wasted"....are we going to be under More surveillance than we already are?
Yes...kids need safety...yes kids require guidance....but parents also need respect for the job they do and should not have to live under a "pall" of stress.
We are all in danger of being in a country that expounds "freedom" but delivers a "big brother " state

Monday July 2, 2007, 2:48 pm
Michael, I agree. I can see horrible abuse coming from this. I agree that children need all the love and care in the world, but as Kathy says, what about the other parents. This is just another way to manipulate and intimidate the weakest among us. And this will add more stress to already highly stressed people, not conducive to the virtues of patience and temperate behavior. This is another loss of freedom.

Monday July 2, 2007, 4:48 pm
Micael.......You say parents??!! Almost all of these so called parents are kids who have had kids who come from kids who had them as kids...........A real cycle of handed down repetative behavior that has been done since the 1940's...........When welfare first came on the scene it did not take long for minorities and other people to see it as money in their pockets to have as many children as they could. The system of these welfare payments was severely abused, misuded by so called parents.

A society can not exist by blindly allowing and paying people to spit out babies like rats, rabbits and roaches for this is where almost all the welfare money goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why bother to stay in school, go back to school when you can be literally paid to lay in bed and make a baby then not have any idea of what or how to raise it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sammantha........The weakest among us are often the less educated who abuse not only drugs, alchohol but the very system they live in as well as the children they have.

Education is the key in ones ABC's but one needs an education in why and for what reason one has children and how to raise them.
I truly have little mercy for the vast majority of them who know exactly what they are doing and why. Kids deserve better than to have a parent who is only 15 and will not have the common sense to never have another one.......A pocket full of money as small as an amount it is means more to them than the PILL. It takes approximanetly six minutes from start to finish to create an embryo for what?........A lifetime of poverty and illiteracy..........................The world population alone proves my point>>>>>>>SIX BILLION PEOPLE. There is not even six billion animals on this earth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Think of tomorrow-
Plant seeds
Grow trees
Make a forest
For the animals...........................PLEASE!!

Monday July 2, 2007, 8:19 pm
Wielding the "Big Stick" will only result in a Rebellion.Anyone who has ever had their lives destroyed by (so-called) child protection legislation will tell you that the woefully inadequate welfare system is the root cause of their problems.
Governments want a population that lives in fear ; That is how they control us. They are definitely not above using our children in a game of chess, in order to keep us quiet.
Every time a "New Study" is released.....we parents find that we are (yet again) told that we are inadequate, and that we must become the people that the Government want us to be (otherwise we are hurting our kids)
Social problems should be left to "front-line" welfare workers and people with EMPATHY & LOVE, not people that are more involved with Fiscal Policy & economic rationalism.

Monday July 2, 2007, 11:07 pm
First, I'd like to see the statistics that show that "almost all" of the parents in question are kids who have had kids....etc. I'd also like to see the statistics involving minorities (sorry, the majority of people on public assistance are caucasian); and statistics showing the average number of children that parents on public assistance have; or the percentage of those parents with substance abuse problems.
There are certain welfare "myths" that are being mentioned. I can't speak for Australia, but in the US, there is no "free ride". In order to get cash assistance, a parent must perform 40 hours of work search related activity per week. Many states will NOT increase a persons cash assistance for children born while on assistance; and most states also have a lifetime limit (typically 5 years).
There is much mention of young parents - no mention of all of the men who abandon their families, never pay a dime in child support, and are never held accountable. Why? Because it's a blame game, and it's oh, so much easier to blame the voiceless.
I do concede the point made about education...parenting classes should be mandatory. Having knowledge about child development helped me to provide much better parenting than I ever received (and my parents were in their late 20's when they had me). But, classes in resiliency are as, if not more, important...too many people are lacking in the basic skills necessary to deal well with life's ups and downs.

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 4:54 am
When the welfare ssystem first began it was very strict regarding information about those who applied. What was asked was nothing short of when was the last time you pee'd. As time went on the rules & questions were strictly based on really important information such as birth certificates and such.
The reduction of increased welfare payment is a very recent developement, not so in the past. In other words the more babies the more money. The search of work is also very recent, as is the five year limit on payments. Most were and are minorities..........You can sit in any welfare office in this country and see who is in the waiting room, it is just common sense that many come from a long line of welfare families........The running philosophy getting the money was easier than learning to read a book. Right now in every southwestern state the offices are overflowing with Mexicans, in the past it was blacks. Yes, obviously there were and are many whites on welfare and their mindset was or isn't any different than any minority. When you work in the welfare department(I have) you begin to draw certain conclusions about any one segment of society.........Seeing is believing .

Many men do indeed abandon their responsibilities regardless of who or what they are. Here again change is desperately need to get these young men of all races but especially minorities to understand you just don't spit out your bullets and walk away. The girls/women involved need the pill or strong teachings on keep up your pants.....Take up a hobby, plant trees, help the elderly, work in a daycare for a year. In other words get some real life experience under your belt.

I have no stats at hand ecept life and that is no myth from where I sit and have seen........I've lived a long time and have seen far too much to give in to sympathy and pity for the sixty some years of welfare abuse and the countless children who were born because of it........After all who needs a man or an education if you have baby and welfare............................... this has been true for far too many years. Welfare in the past and to some degree today was/is a stepping stone to endless poverty and self depreciation of who and what someone might become "if only" they had been taught the values. The teaching of moral sand principles doesn't cost a dime only patience and a bent ear!

I stand by my words!

Plant seeds
Grow trees
Make a forest
For the animals...............................

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 9:19 am
Is this about parenting or wasting public money? For i think yes those individuals whom waste public money should be proscuited. Which would include ever political figure we have. Now if it's about parenting isn't it convenient that those individuals who are lost and need social help don't get it. For eveything that is mentioned is a addiction problem and is considered a disease. Unfortunely a lot of these people in their sprial down are often victims of other malicious people. Especially woman who are abused or raped or exploited for sex. Yes they do have children who grow up in these environments. What is criminal is this has been happening for 50 years + and the governements always turn a blind eye to the cycle. The powers that be have then wasted money on other frivilous spending sprees. either $250 bathroom tissue or war items, etc. It's sickening when a dollar is more important than a human life.

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 11:38 am
Actually Welfare was set up for people as a stepping stone to help them to acheive or better themselves, no one should abuse the system, after you are on your feet, and it should not take more than 2 or 3 yrs, even with children on board, then you give it up and over to some other family in need. Noted....

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 11:50 am
and then there will be 40 percent less food for the kids...........

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 12:02 pm
Thanks Litha, for bringing this back to what it should be about - the kids! Anytime you penalize the parents, you penalize the children. And for all of those concerned about intergenerational problems and poverty - how is this going to address those issues? It doesn't - it will only serve to deepen them. I agree with Eileen - it IS sickening when a dollar is more important than a human life.
And by the way, I work in public policy and poverty awareness and I'm fully aware of the statistics. Minorities DO NOT make up the majority of public assistance recipients, nor do High School dropouts and teens, etc. There are certain parts of the country where that may be different, but then you get into demographics - not race.

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 1:02 pm
"Cabinet will tomorrow discuss a plan to force parents across Australia to account for their children during school hours or face Centrelink taking control of their family assistance payments.

Children identified as at risk will be the first to be targeted, with Centrelink intervening to ensure essentials such as rent, food and medical expenses are paid. " Notice it does state that essentials such as rent, food and medical expenses are paid. Of course they should not automatically punish the parents if the children do not attend school. Sometimes the parents might not be aware the children are skipping school. I have seen that happen.

Tuesday July 3, 2007, 2:40 pm
Thank you Esther, what a good peice of info, and by the way it is all about the CHILDREN.....that was my point. They are 1st and a victim of their parents hardships...and yes, we all have them...sorry, but you all need to know that it is not a perfect world with perfect people in it....Peace out....

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 2:43 am
If oe is going to start citing another of those litanies against perceived welfare abuse, then one should also cite the greater welfare abuse by corporations and the wealthy who have done more to create havoc by instigating this mess THAT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR
if anyone or anything is to blame it's them; by placing the onus on those who receive the payments rather than those guilty of making this situation possible, shifts the blame where it shouldn't be...
This story is really about scapegoating (like the immigration issue), it's just another RED HERRING story to lead the public astray on another ridiculous "crusade" in order to masquerade the real criminal behavior that's destroying this nation-and it's not because of a small number of perceived welfare "abusers!"

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 2:50 am
If one is going to start citing another of those litanies against perceived welfare abuse, in all fairness they should also cite the greater welfare abuse by corporations and the wealthy who've done more to create havoc by instigating this mess THAT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR!
If blame it be, then place the rightful onus on those guilty of making this situation possible.

This story is really about scapegoating ( no different from the immigration "issue"), it's just another RED HERRING to lead the public astray on another ridiculous crusade in order to masquerade the real criminal behavior that's destroying this nation-and believe me, it's not because of a small number of perceived welfare "abusers!"

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 3:15 am
Cynthia:

As a former caseworker in the Dept. of Public Welfare I know your information is accurate and informed.

This alleged story of welfare abuse by "bad" parents is recycled every few years or so. If one cares to research any newspaper `Tombs' one will discover the very same story featuring the usual suspects of society's ire.
I wonder what Margaret Sanger would think of all of this?

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 4:05 am
Charles Q..........The "elite" of welfare is indeed these corporate monsters...........All with the blessings of presidents past and especially BUSH..........And how many little orphaned/abused children do you think they have? The PILL is a shear blessing to them and abortions gotten on demand with no questions asked. And they can get their tubes tied with no interferrence from the government saying you can't do that until you reach a certain age!

The lifestyle of the rich & famous keep the poor & uneducated right where they want them..........Think hard about Ray Nagin because the rich and famous do not as a rule have a color line. Nagin is a prime example of keeping the people in poverty and just uneducated enough to buy into what he said and when the chips were down he left his people high and dry more than anyone else because he was right there in the middle of it all and took off like a bat out of hell! All the thousands and thousands of people all of us saw on television were just on the edge of if not at the bottom of poverty. Many of the children are or were at the mercy of his game plan to keep him in office and they will now and in the future pay the price for it all.

If Lincoln learned and became president by the light of a kerosene lamp so could they but that is not what too many poor people will ever hear from the likes of Nagin or anyone else in a power play position..........In other words I'll tell you the dreams you want to hear and wear a fine silk suit while I'm at it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, generation after generation of all people learn the welfare abuse game from the top down and the poor can not see the writing on the wall. People can not teach their children right from wrong because they are being manipulated into believing promises made and hold their breath at the same time waiting for the messiah of hope to deliver.................

Anyone reading this will will hate me for this but here goes........Barack Obama is now being seen and portrayed as the messiah for the black people in particular and it isn't going to happen. Obama is as much a power player as any white politician ever was and that is the false dream of blacks and many other minorities. Obama is being groomed and prepped for the role for promises made and diliverance.

If my words on Barack have enraged you just think how many of us are enraged over promises made and never delivered by BUSH in any area of his presidency...............The corporate welfare game will go on forever for the elite as well as the poor because it benefits those in power no matter if they are this or that in color.

Think of tomorrow-
Plant seeds
Grow trees
Make a forest
For the animals......................................

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 8:24 am
I would just like to remind everybody that this news story did not refer to the welfare system in the U.S.

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 2:07 pm
I don't think this is the answer to this problem. The children will be the ones to suffer even more than they already are. The parents will just use what they get from welfare and children will get less.

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 3:11 pm
A better pnealty for abusive welfare parents would be to cut them off from one hundered percent (100%) of their payments and to take their children away from them. This may sound like human rights violation to some. But to allow children to be abused and/or neglected on the tax dollars of responsible citizens would be an even greater human rights violation.

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 3:50 pm
AMEN Robert...............The human rights of a child never enters the thoughts of those planning or simply getting caught pregnant. After the fact the first thought is MONEY and where to get it from.

I watched a show some months ago where a young black girl of 15 had her first baby. Her grandmother and others involved with her did everything possible to get her to go back to school.......She went for awhile but quit after a few weeks. All involved did everything but plead on hands and knees to stay in school. Eventually the grandmother took care of the baby 90% of the time so she could finish her daily rounds of socializing. Also, many grandparents now raise babies whose parents are in jail or just plain gone on drugs running the streets. The scenario goes on and on.............

So welfare is not the answer in the U.S., Australia or anywhere else for that matter!!!!!!!!!

Education is the key on what it takes to raise a child, why you have them in the first place..........American schools should have a standard mandantory program in all schools as a requirement to graduate. Not every student will learn from it but certainly enough will to lessen the numbers filling the welfare line and spare some unwanted child a life of poverty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I stand by these words........................

Think of tomorrow-
Plant trees.....................................

Wednesday July 4, 2007, 3:53 pm
Putting more children into the system - foster care, group homes, institutions, etc. - is not an answer and would cost the government (hence all of us "responsible citizens") much more than providing supportive (counseling, treatment, parenting, education, etc) services would. It would also add to the problems in the future.
If you are familiar with the system of children's services (in the US, foster care) then you know it is riddled with abuse, neglect, and corruption. It probably isn't much better in other countries...
If you want children to grow into healthy, well-adjusted human beings capable of contributing to society, then putting children into the "system" is a far cry from being an answer. What would be next? Adopting Romania's past solution ?

Thursday July 5, 2007, 2:51 am
I SEE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS IN THAT IT ONLY WILL FOCUS ON ONE GROUP THE POOR!!!